Book Two of Torchwood: After the Fall
by TWIantoJones
Summary: Book Two of Torchwood: After the Fall. Immediately after "Everything Changes", Jack and Ianto deal with family issues. Torchwood has to learn how to function with the not-so-new additions while they learn a bit more about the effects and consequences.
1. Introduction and Chapter 1

Book Two of Torchwood: After the Fall

The End is Where We Start From

Summary: Immediately after "Everything Changes", Jack and Ianto deal with family issues. Torchwood has to learn how to function with the not-so-new additions while they learn a bit more about the effects and consequences of changing Time. Oh, and aliens once again threaten the earth.

Disclaimer: See my author profile.

Notes: Again, see if you can name what book/episode/magazine/audio stories have been referenced. Hopefully more lighthearted that Book One, but it's not TW without some drama.

Oh! And I unintentionally used a pun (probably a bad one at that) so see if you can spot it!

Normally I don't like to post until I am completely finished with a story. However, Book Two had other plans. Part One _alone_ was close to being as long as all of Book One so since I'm finished with Part Two (and currently rewriting Part Three) I decided to post Part One now and a few other stories that I've been working on. I made this decision because of those who have read and enjoyed Book One-- I don't like to have too long between updates when it's a multi-part story so Book One fans can see what the boys and Co. are up to without having to wait too long.

Love it or hate it, drop me a line either at my email twiantojones yahoo . com (no spaces) or click the review button. I appreciate all critiques and opinions, but flames will be used to heat up a pot of Greek coffee. Enjoy!

~_~_~

_"One chapter of our lives is over, done. It's time for a new chapter to begin," Ianto said. He reached out both his hands. Jack and Gwen each took one and then took each other's hands._

_Gwen smiled at her two friends. "The end is where we start from. The 21__st__ century changed us all. More changes are on the way, good and bad. Torchwood is ready."_

_Jack squeezed both hands in his grip. "Ianto Jones, Gwen Cooper-Williams and Jack Harkness are ready. Together, I know we can do anything."_

_"I love you." Ianto looked at them, first Jack, then Gwen. "Both of you. I love you more than anything. Together, even when Time and Death take us from here, from you Gwen. We'll be together forever."_

_"Forever," Gwen whispered, gripping them tightly. "Forever together."_

~_~_~

PART ONE

One week had passed since Captain Jack Harkness had brought his lover Ianto Jones back to life. It had been a busy week what with Jack and Ianto getting re-accustomed with life on earth (not to mention with living and breathing again, in Ianto's case). Gwen Cooper was quite insistent that Jack return to the role of leader that he had performed so well for years, but at the same time he refused to jump back into it full-time. Instead he had taken Ianto to a house he owned a few miles away and had re-accustomed himself with his lover.

The house was not far from the Hub, which made it easy for the two men to pop in and see what everyone was up to every day. Jack refused to let Ianto work for the moment. Part of him was still afraid that he was going to blink and realize that it was all just a dream. He was afraid that he would wake up and Ianto would still be dead.

Jack smiled as he watched Ianto carefully measure out the right amount of fresh ground beans needed to produce the perfect cup of dark roasted coffee, using a small knife to level off the measuring spoon. He had missed this; the way Ianto did everything to the point of being OCD was one of the things he had remembered best about the younger man. It was the little things that made a person real, that made a person memorable. Oftentimes people saw the ordinary as mundane and boring; only when it was too late did they realize that it was those overlooked details that told the whole story of a person.

And after being given this chance, Jack Harkness was not about to take the little things for granted again.

True, he now had Ianto for all of Time. There was no doubt about that fact. However, there would still be heartache and unimaginable suffering. The consequences that he, Ianto as well, would suffer were going to be great and unending. While Jack understood what Time had told him to expect, Ianto was still coming to grips with the reality of it all. It was frustrating since that meant that Ianto had lots of questions to ask about their situation but Jack was able to calmly answer without losing patience. This was mainly due to the fact that he still had all of the memories from before he brought Ianto back. He had billions of years worth of memories and he'd had billions of years to come to terms with what he was going to do (had done) whereas Ianto had only had a few days.

Patience was only one of the many things that Jack had learned over the years.

"Coffee?"

Ianto held out a dark blue mug of the dark brew and smiled at his lover. It felt good to be back. Back with Jack, back to life and back to a routine. Being with Jack was at the top of the list. He would have spent forever in the darkness waiting for Jack to die and join him even though it was only a few minutes here and there, so being alive was second. Having a routine for someone who had been an archivist, an extremely organized archivist, was also quite nice and so was on the list.

Oh, to be sure the routine was rather dull at the moment, but it was nice. Every day he awoke at six a.m. after a good three hours sleep (being a Fixed Point in Time and Space meant he needed less of it) and had a shower (with Jack) followed by a brisk two-mile jog (with Jack) and then a light breakfast of cereal and coffee (with Jack). The rest of the morning was spent reading through the updated Torchwood archives to see what sort of aliens had tried to take over the earth in their absence (with Jack). After a lunch of Lean Cuisine and salad (with Jack) they explored Cardiff from the perspective of tourists. It was actually quite nice to look with fresh eyes as they had both been away for so long and even when they had lived here before neither of them had really looked around, had never really appreciated what Cardiff had to offer. Afterwards they would stop into the hub and chat with the others before heading for home. They either picked up Chinese or pizza for dinner.

After dinner (and coffee with Jack) Ianto either read a book (which he'd rarely had time to do before he died) or watched reruns on the telly. While he was occupied in the living room, Jack was at the kitchen table busy writing in a journal, reading the newspaper or researching aliens. Eventually the two of them would become frustrated and play a game that Ianto liked to call Seduction. There were no losers, only winners, as no matter who seduced who they ended up naked and lost in the throes of passion. Sometimes this lasted for hours, other times (okay, once, that first night, but hey, Ianto had just come back to life and was completely exhausted) they had only lasted a short while and had just lain together. The best part of it was the way that their day ended. After they had made love they would simply talk. Sometimes they would lie down together, spooning, on the bed. Other times they sat on the couch. It didn't really matter where they talked; they just enjoyed their conversations. The next day would be started the same way-- Ianto and Jack.

"Oy!"

Jack looked up from the evening paper. "What?"

"Do you realize that in the last seven days you and I have spent all of our time together? As in 'joined at the hip' together." Ianto reached for the remote and turned the television off with a heavy sigh and then joined him at the kitchen table. "Jack, I love you, more than I've ever loved anyone, but we're spending too much time together and we're spending it doing nothing."

"Well, I wouldn't say nothing…" Jack began.

"Sex is all you think about isn't it?"

"Actually, my dear Mr. Jones, I wasn't talking about that. Although yes, we do a lot of that," Jack smiled at him. "You're the one who was adamant that we stay here on earth and at Torchwood. Both of us have been gone for a while. Lots of aliens have come and gone; the Torchwood Alien Database has been greatly expanded not to mention that just reading through all of the case reports is time consuming. Even though when you die you won't stay dead, I don't feel comfortable with either of us walking into a dangerous situation without at least a little time to get our feet back on solid ground. Besides, I enjoy spending time with you. We didn't do enough of that before."

"True," Ianto conceded. "You asked me on a date a few hours after you returned from The Year That Never Was and it was a few weeks later, the day before we thawed out Tommy that we got to go on it."

"So then you can see why I'm reluctant to let go of this 'couple time' we have." Jack sipped his coffee and smiled at the look on the other's face. He knew what was coming and he had prepared himself for this particular conversation.

"I thought," Ianto said in an incredulous voice. "That you hated the word 'couple'?" It had been painful for him to listen to Jack's dismissal of the status of their relationship. The week that the 456 had made contact, he had been trying to figure out just how serious Jack was about them. Every time he had brought up being a couple he had been rebuked. Now he was just confused.

"Ianto, I've had a lot of time to think about it. I've never liked being labeled anything. In the 51st century, using labels like 'couple' to describe a relationship is archaic. Also, back when you were trying to call us a couple, I felt like it was because of your nature and not because you actually saw us as one."

"What do you mean?"

"By nature, you're a very organized individual. You categorize everything from your sock drawer to the cans of soup in your kitchen cupboard. You have to organize and label every aspect of your life. Every day, even now, you write down what suit, shirt and tie, waist coat or not you're wearing so that you can be sure to not wear that particular combination again for at least five days."

"Okay, so I'm OCD, I get that. I thought you liked that about me?"

"I do."

"Then what's the matter?" Ianto was now seriously confused. Yes, he had his cupboards organized by product type, brand name, and size and alphabetized. Yes, he wrote down what he wore each day. Yes, he had a sock drawer. Jack had never seemed to mind before. Had he been so wrong in his assessment of Jack's feelings for him? The older man had told him on their first night back that he liked Ianto's quirks.

"I was afraid that you were trying to pin a label on our relationship because you needed to organize it like you did the rest of your life. I didn't want that. I wanted us to live in the moment, to enjoy ourselves as much as we could for as long as we could."

"But that's what I wanted!" Ianto said in exasperation. "I kept needling you because I wasn't sure if you actually wanted to be with me because you cared about me or if you were with me because there was no one better at the time. I wasn't trying to organize or label us. Just figure out what we were."

"There is no one better, not for me." Jack's voice was soft. He looked away and then folded up his newspaper. "Ianto, I spent years thinking about why I didn't want to call us a 'couple'. It took me a while but I finally figured it out."

"Tell me." Ianto had his own suspicions, but he needed to hear it come from Jack's mouth.

Jack turned towards him; he reached across the table and took Ianto's hands in his, holding them tightly. This man meant so much to him. He had more than a few years on the man yet he felt so immature in comparison. He only wished that he had figured it out so much sooner.

"You needed to know that I cared about you, about us. So many things had happened so fast -- Lisa, the Doctor, Gwen's engagement -- you were never sure where you stood. You couldn't figure out if I was truly serious about us being together or if I was with you just because. You were so worried that I was going to run off and leave you behind, you kept at me, trying to find out if I considered us a couple." He fell silent. "Remember," he continued softly. "When I became Captain Jack Gordian and was about to leave earth?"

"Yes." It was at that moment that Ianto had realized the depths of his feelings for Jack.

"I could hear you, while I was still connected to Gordian. You were scared that I was going to go and leave you all alone. I could hear your voice. Ianto, you were so scared, it was breaking my heart. I knew that you loved me then. And it scared me that I cared that much, that deep about someone. It scared me that I loved you even then but I couldn't abandon you, not again."

"Why did you tell me 'Don't'? What did you mean?" Ianto had to know. As he had lay dying that comment more than anything had hurt him.

"I was losing you. I could feel you dying. I was dying _because_ I was losing you. There had been so much that I wanted to tell you, so many things I had wanted us to do, and I was out of time. I said 'Don't' because I couldn't say it. I couldn't say that I loved you too." He let go of Ianto's hands and went to the sink to rinse out his cup. "I tried to convince myself that I hadn't loved you. The day after Steven died, I went to your flat and curled up in your bed. It smelled like you. I cried myself to sleep, praying that when I woke up you would be there and it would all have been just a horrible nightmare. But you weren't there." He tried to not think about how much it had hurt, when the realization had hit that Ianto was gone.

Ianto joined him at the sink. He wrapped his arms around Jack's waist and rested his chin on a hard shoulder. It was good to get all of this off their chests, out into the open. He still didn't fully understand what sorts of consequences they were going to experience, but he knew that they would face it all together. Getting through all of this right now, no matter how difficult it proved to be, would make it all easier in the long run.

"So how about a compromise?" he asked.

"Go on."

"Well, seeing as the word 'couple' is outdated in your time, how about whenever it comes up in conversation we simply say that we're 'together'?"

"'Together, huh'?" Jack's smile was slow but sure. "I like that. It's less label, more intimate, just like us." He turned in his lover's arms and wrapped his own around the smaller waist. "And I think you're right. We are spending too much time together. How about each day we spend a few hours in the morning and evening together and the rest of the day doing our own thing? That way we won't drive each other completely crazy and we'll miss each other enough to get worn out at night."

Ianto laughed. "Okay, that sounds like a very well-thought out plan to me."

~_~_~

It was Gwen who made the call. They had discussed it yesterday when they had come by after lunch. Ianto wanted to see his sister, to talk things over with her. He knew that it would be difficult; after all he had been dead for several years now. Even though he was certain she was going to be angry with him, perhaps even afraid, he needed to see her.

He didn't want to upset her by popping by the house or calling her directly. He seriously doubted that Rhiannon would survive the shock of seeing her deceased brother standing on her doorstep alive and breathing. So he had asked Gwen to arrange a meeting.

Gwen sat on a park bench sipping from a travel mug as she waited for Ianto's older sister. She had agreed that the two siblings should meet, despite Jack's loud protests. It wasn't because he was being selfish and wanted to keep Ianto locked up; instead it was out of concern for his lover. Who knew how Rhiannon would react to the news that the brother she had buried five years ago was walking and talking and, oh yes, immortal? Gwen wasn't really sure just how much Ianto was going to divulge to his sister but she was willing to help arrange for Ianto to see her.

_"Even if after this she doesn't want anything to do with me," _Ianto had said._ "I owe her an explanation. I've lied to her enough, about what I did for a living, about my relationship with Jack, about everything, that I can't just stay away without at least talking to her one last time."_

And so now Gwen was sitting on a bench in a park sipping coffee from a plastic travel mug waiting for Rhiannon to show up.

A short distance away, Ianto sat in Gwen's car and waited. He was not looking forward to this. Oh certainly he wanted to see his sister again but he was unsure of her reaction. When she had learned that he was not a mere civil servant she had not been very happy. Add to that the terror of the entire alien threat and government betrayal and no, his sister had not been a very happy person.

He reached for and took a sip from his own travel mug. He froze mid-sip as he saw his sister approach the bench that Gwen sat on.

She looked the same as she had the last time he had seen her, just a little bit older. She had let her hair grow out a bit; it looked nice. He remembered her being awkward as a teenager. Many of her schoolmates had taunted her because of her weight. Now that she was older she had become more comfortable with her body and carried the extra weight with pride. Part of that he knew was due to Johnny. He loved Rhiannon no matter how plump she was. Although Ianto had never cared much for his sister's choice of spouse, he had never truly objected to the relationship because even as a shy prepubescent boy he had seen the affection that the sod had for Rhiannon.

He wished that he had brought a comm unit with him; he could see the two women talking and wanted to know what was being said. He would just have to wait for the signal.

Rhiannon leaned back against the bench as she shared little tidbits about the children's school activities. She had been most surprised when Gwen had wanted to have their weekly chat in person but she had obliged the other woman. It was strange that she had become close to one of the people who had worked with her brother. At first she had refused any sort of friendship from the woman, hanging up each time she had called the house and tossing out letters that she had sent. It was only a few months after the funeral that she had opened the front door to get the mail and found Gwen standing there about to knock (and about to burst at seven months' pregnant) that she had finally given in.

The two had chatted for hours over tea and biscuits. Gwen had told her exactly what sort of organization her brother had worked for and what it was that he had done there. Ianto's diary had survived the bomb that had torn apart the hub and Gwen had returned it to her. She had said that after their initial meeting, where Rhiannon had accused her of not knowing the real Ianto Jones, she was determined to do his memory justice. She had felt guilty reading her brother's innermost thoughts, but she had been able to learn more about him after his death than she had while he had been alive. The horrors he had experienced, from Canary Wharf and losing Lisa to losing two friends to Jack's psychotic brother, who had been seeking revenge, had unnerved her greatly. She had learned just how strong and vulnerable her brother had become because of what he had seen and done. She had also learned the intensity of his feelings for Captain Jack Harkness.

At first Rhiannon had blamed Jack for her brother's too soon death. He never should have gone with Jack to the Thames House. If Jack wanted to risk his own life then fine, but he should have forced Ianto to stay with Gwen where he would have been safe. It had taken her a while, after several readings of the diary, for her to understand that Ianto had loved Jack to the point that he would have joyfully put himself in mortal danger again and again if only to be able to fight by Jack's side. And she had also realized, thanks to Gwen showing her the video of the events in the Thames House, that Ianto had meant that much to Jack as well.

_"Then I take it all back- but not him!"_

She remembered hearing the anguish in Jack's voice as he tried to bargain for Ianto's life. It had shocked her to the core that two people who had been together for such a short time could have such deep feelings for each other.

_"Don't leave me, please."_

She had seen Jack try to kiss her brother one last time, knowing that he would never get the chance again. Rhiannon had been angry when she learned that Jack had survived the virus that had killed her brother and so many others.

_"Immortal? What the hell do you mean he's immortal?" she had shouted after Gwen had shown her the video and told her what Jack had been forced to do. "Then why did he take Ianto with him? Ianto never should have been there! He was mortal! Jack should have known better. Ianto trusted him to keep him safe! How could you have let him do that?"_

Gwen had cried (she had put some of the blame for Ianto's death on herself, because yes, she should have made him stay with her) and then they had cried together. Now, five years after her brother's pointless death, Rhiannon was sitting on a park bench with the same woman who had helped combat the aliens that had threatened her children.

The conversation slowly trailed away. Both Gwen and Rhiannon sat in a companionable silence. It was a few minutes before Rhiannon dared to speak again.

"So why did you want to see me?" She knew it was something to do with Ianto. Or there was another alien threat to the children. Rhiannon didn't know which but she was willing to listen, if nothing else than because Ianto's sacrifice had helped save Mica and David.

Gwen took a deep breath and looked at the older woman. "Ianto."

"What about him?" God it hurt to think about him. Every year on August 19th they celebrated Ianto's birthday. Every Christmas holiday she looked through the family photo albums with the children so that they would remember their uncle. To think about him any other day hurt so much that she tried to avoid it if possible. In truth, she felt as if she had failed her brother in life.

"Jack has come back to earth." Gwen watched for a reaction. She had gone to Rhiannon's house the morning after Jack had fled the planet and had been surprised (though pleased) that she had been able to sit down and talk about Ianto, Jack, Torchwood and the events that had led to her being on the doorstep in the first place. To say that Rhiannon was not happy with Jack was something of an understatement. Even after all of this time, she still held Jack accountable for Ianto's death, even though she had long since forgiven him.

"What does that have to do with Ianto?"

"Because he's alive Rhiannon. Ianto is alive."

Rhiannon gaped open-mouthed as Gwen raised a hand to her hair, brushing it back from her face into a ponytail.

No, it wasn't true. If Ianto had survived (which he hadn't because she had identified the body for autopsy, had watched the casket being lowered into the ground) he would have contacted her.

"Stop it."

"If you don't believe me," Gwen said as she stood. "Then maybe you'll believe him."

Slowly, Rhiannon turned to follow Gwen's gaze. A young man wearing a dark suit and a trench coat was walking towards them. His piercing blue eyes were locked onto her own matching orbs. He stopped when he was directly in front of her.

"Hello, Rhiannon," Ianto said softly.

Rhiannon stood and stared at her brother. Her little brother, the one who had died so that her children could be safe, was standing right in front of her.

"Ianto?" she whispered. "Is it really you?"

"Yes, it's really me. I've alive."

SLAP.

~_~_~

It was like déjà vu. Alice opened the door to her house, the same house she had lived in five years ago, and stood there looking at him. Jack looked back at her, uncertain whether or not this time he would be granted entrance. The last time he had been at this house there had been a little blond headed boy who had jumped into his arms and demanded attention. But that little boy was gone now. He would never again want to play football in the backyard with 'Uncle Jack'.

"Well, come in then," Alice said as she turned and walked back towards the kitchen.

Jack counted to ten and followed, closing the door behind him. He walked into the kitchen and watched silently as she fixed them both a cup of coffee. A part of him expected to hear the sounds of a child playing and it hurt. It hurt so much that he wanted to run out of the house and find Ianto. If he could hold him now this would be easier. But Ianto wasn't here with him. Ianto had gone to see his sister. Jack knew that it was something that Ianto had to do on his own, just as Jack needed to talk with his daughter on his own. She had been avoiding him at the Hub. Ianto had said that this was unacceptable. They had sat down together with Gwen and discussed it. While Jack wanted to keep his lover safe from anything that could hurt him, he also knew that Ianto needed to see his sister. The only thing that had managed to silence his worried protests was Ianto promising to introduce him to his family, so long as things went well today.

He was jolted from his thoughts as two white mugs were placed on the table. He sat down and lifted the one nearest him to his lips. The brew was not nearly as divine as Ianto's but it was a far better quality that anything he himself could have made.

"We need to talk."

He had to smile as he looked at her. Direct and to the point, just like her mother.

"Yeah," he said. "We do." He sipped at his coffee and then set it down. "Alice, I know you hate me for what I did, both five years ago and last week. But you have to understand-- I need him. Eternity without him was unbearable."

"But why couldn't you save Steven too? Your own flesh and blood." Why had her baby had to suffer in the first place; it wasn't fair.

"I could only save one. And I'm sorry, but I had to choose Ianto." He glanced over his shoulder to the window. Once a little boy had played just out there in the yard. "I don't expect you to agree with my decision, but it was _my_ decision. Yes, I wanted to be able to save Steven as well as Ianto. But Time is a tricky thing to manipulate. Time is sentient, like you and me. It can think and feel like humans do. I was only able to change Time because of a young girl who had become linked to it before, the same girl who caused me to be immortal. She 'fixed' her mistake by providing me with the means of saving one person. It had to be either Ianto or Steven. But by saving them they would be like me-- they will never stay dead. Steven was just a little boy who had barely begun to live. But he would have stayed a little boy for several millennia before he would start to grow up, to age. His mind would quite possibly not have aged at all during that time. Do you want that? Do you want to have your child be a child for thousands and thousands of years and never really grow up? Do you want him, as a little boy, be alone for the rest of Time without his mother simply because he died so young?"

Alice frowned and looked away. To be honest, she had never even considered any of this. All she had wanted was her baby back. She had not considered the consequences. _Consequences_.

"Dad, you said that there were going to be consequences for changing Time. What sort of consequences?"

Jack sighed heavily. Ianto was having difficulty dealing with the whole idea of eternal punishment for Jack. How would Alice feel about his endless suffering? Would she even care?

"You can see how my face has been damaged." He indicated the scar. "My body, front and back, is covered with scars. Each scar represents the civilizations that will no longer exist because Ianto is alive. Billions of people who one day once flourished will never be born because of me. I had to endure unimaginable pain to get these scars since dying heals my wounds. I also remember everything that happened to me for billions of years and I will continue to remember, with perfect clarity, until Time itself stops and I cease to exist. The worst part is that I'm now linked to Ianto. I can now feel his physical pains as if it's me that's been hurt. Even something so small as a hangnail I'll feel. And when I say feel, I mean _feel_. Each injury he receives so will I. Each injury I receive, he'll also experience. When he dies, I'll die too."

"But why would you want to go through that? Why would he?" Suddenly she was very glad that Steven was still dead because she would not wish such a thing on anyone.

"Because I spent an eternity regretting ever meeting him. Meeting him was what killed him. He died because he met me. If I had been more forceful in refusing to hire him then he would never have been with me that day five years ago. I would never have loved him. But I did meet him. His death is as much my fault as the aliens. I could have kept him away, but I was afraid of going to face the 456 alone." He scoffed at that thought. Him, Captain Jack Harkness, the immortal man afraid of an alien that was high. "I can endure any pain so long as I have him with me. Even if he hated me and chose to leave me, I would still gladly bear the pain because he would be alive. I need him, more than I have ever needed anyone."

"You said you loved him. More than mom?"

Jack looked at her, pain reflected in both their eyes. "I loved your mother until she died. But she was afraid of the man I was, not just that I was immortal, but because I didn't care if people got hurt. But Ianto helped me change. I don't know when it happened, I don't know if it happened suddenly or over time. But he changed me. Once, a while back, I was held prisoner for nearly a year. Every day I was tortured and killed. When I was in the dark I could only think of one thing. Ianto. I needed to see him again. When I was able to return to him, I was afraid of falling too deep and so I strung him along while flirting with Gwen. He never really was sure what he was to me. It was only after we lost Owen and Tosh that I began to slip up, I let my feelings through a few times. I tried to think of him as my friend, my lover and nothing more. But he had all ready taken my heart when I first met him. Without him to keep the nightmares at bay, I would have gone insane. My memories of him never once left my mind, not even when I tried to let him go. And believe me, I did try to forget him, to move on."

"You love him." Alice frowned a little. She had seen how devastated her father had been when he had chosen to sacrifice her son. It had been afterwards, after the funeral that she had learned that her father's lover had died as well. It had taken her several months to be able to forgive him in her heart because she knew that there had been no other choice. One child or millions, that was the choice he'd had to make. She had tried to contact her father only to learn that he was gone. He had left earth. He had left her.

A graveyard. That was what Gwen said he called the planet. Earth had become a graveyard to him. She had never known about where her father had come from (or when) nor had she known about his parents and brother. He had kept it a secret from her and possibly her mother too. Yet he had shared much of himself with Ianto.

She found that she could not be angry with the young man in question. He had walked into the Thames House knowing full well that he might die and had made a stand for the children of earth. He had kept his cool until the very end; he had died in the arms of the one he loved. He had not asked to be brought back, only to be remembered. He was alive because her father loved him too much to let him go without a fight. No, she could not blame or be angry with Ianto Jones.

"If you love him," she said slowly. "Then take care of him. Immortal or not, he shouldn't have to suffer any more than absolutely necessary. I know how reckless you can be with your own life but now you have him to think about."

"I know." Jack smiled sadly. "I don't want him to be in pain, but I couldn't make it without him. And believe me when I say that I would have brought Steven back if I had been able."

"I believe you, Dad. It's just going to take some time to get past this. It was hard enough burying my son."

"So, are we okay then?" He knew that they had crossed a bridge of sorrow today. There would be more to cross soon, he knew that.

"Yes, providing that you understand my feelings and my need for time and space. I have to grieve for Steven all over again."

"Me too."

He rubbed at his cheek, wondering why it stung.

"By the way, why are there fingerprints on your face?"

~_~_~

He swiftly read through the information on the screen. He was more than a little angry. How many times did he have to explain it to people? Changing past events was not allowed. There were far too many consequences and most life forms were incapable of handling them.

_Someone has changed Time. It was changed so that a single individual could live when he was supposed to die. This is unacceptable._

He had to find out who it was; both who had died and who had changed Time. He would have to mop up the mess. Of course, he certainly did not relish that he had to kill someone he had nothing against but the integrity of Time and Space had to be preserved.

_I'm sorry, but I can't allow this to happen. I can promise to make it as swift and painless as possible. _

His heart was very heavy with the knowledge of what he had to do. However if he didn't do it, there were other creatures that would do more than just heal the breach. Those creatures would kill every last living thing until they found their prey. He could not let that happen.

The computer beeped as it finished collating the information. He looked at the screen and closed his eyes in pain.

_Oh no, no nonononono. Not this, anything, please anything but not this._

But he knew it was true. And he knew where he had to go and what he had to do.

"I'm so sorry."

~_~_~

Gwen gaped at Rhiannon. Okay, maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. She turned her eyes onto Ianto.

Ianto simply raised a hand to his reddened cheek and smiled softly.

"Well, at least you believe it's me," he said.

"You, you bastard!" Rhiannon 's voice shook as tears filled her eyes. "All this time, you've been alive all this time and you never told me?"

"No." Ianto shook his head at her with a sad smile. "No, Rhi, I haven't been alive. I did die five years ago. A week ago Jack was able to bring me back to life. He stopped me from being dead."

Rhiannon frowned. Wasn't it all the same thing? Suddenly she wished that she had completed her degree back when she was younger as she felt that her lack of a university education was blocking her understanding.

She sat down and tried to breathe. She looked up as her brother joined her on the bench and they sat in silence. Gwen slowly made her way to the car to wait. They didn't need her hanging around while they talked but she didn't feel right about leaving Ianto without transportation.

"I can't really explain it, Rhi, but Jack was able to change Time and our future to bring me back. It's not like in all those science fiction shows on the telly; to change the past is a difficult and dangerous thing to do. Jack has all ready been punished for saving me and now both of us will continue to be punished forever."

"What do you mean punished? How? And by forever do you mean until you die again or do you more for forever?" She always had been one to ask questions. Talk, talk, and talk. That was Rhiannon.

He took a deep breath and slowly released it, savoring the feel of air moving through his lungs. It was one of the things that he would never again take for granted.

"Jack's been tortured, both mentally and physically. His body is covered in horrible scars and he will always remember everything he has ever experienced. I don't even want to pretend to understand what he has been going through all this time because it would be insufficient to express what he's feeling. As for how long forever is? It's forever. I can't die, not the way that you can. Not anymore. When he brought me back it was for until the end of Time. Until Time ceases to be, so shall we be. Jack and I are going to live forever. It's not going to be pretty. We can feel each other's pains. Like when you slapped me just now I'm sure he could feel it, so please try to refrain from doing it again. Also, I can die, I just won't stay dead. Jack will also be able to feel that."

"So," Rhiannon said. "You're cursed to suffer over and over again until the universe ends?"

"That's it in a nutshell."

"So why do you seem so damned happy?"

Ianto smiled a real smile. "Because although I am going to have to watch, hopefully not from a distance, you and your family die of old age as well as everyone else around me that I care about, I'll have his shoulder to cry on forever. I know it won't be easy, and I know that there will be days when I'll hate that he saved me, but for me it's a good day if I get to see him for at least a moment. I love him."

Perhaps he should have stated that fact sooner, he thought. The moment he said those three words his sister came undone. She hugged him and gushed over him. It was as if he had not come back from the dead but a long vacation instead. She started telling him about the kids and Johnny as if it was only last week that he had seen her. Apparently, although she was only eleven Mica was quite popular with the boys. Women and their gossip. That was one thing he had not missed while dead. But then again, that really wasn't true. Yes, he had missed Jack most of all but he had missed all the little things too.

"Ianto!"

They looked up at Gwen who rushed towards them. "I'm so sorry, but I've got to go. Rift activity."

"Then let's go," he said as he stood.

"Jack will kill me if you get hurt," Gwen protested.

"Nope, sorry, not gonna work, Gwen." Ianto turned to his sister. "Are we all right?"

Rhiannon stood and smiled at him. "You're still my little brother, you daft sod. Come around for dinner?" she asked. She would have to prepare Johnny and the kids. A cover story, something about him being in a coma, would have to be told. She seriously doubted that her husband or kids could keep something like immortality a secret.

Ianto returned her smile with one of his own. "Can I bring Jack? He'd love to meet you, and he'll be able to answer your questions better than I."

"All right then." Rhiannon glanced at Gwen. "Now run along and save the world. Give me a ring, same number, and we'll set something up for later this week."

Ianto nodded and turned towards Gwen. "Shall we?"

"Let's."

They ran as fast as they could to the car.

~_~_~

Jack smiled as he and Alice rushed onto the Plass. They had spent several minutes looking through photographs and reminiscing about Alice's own childhood before getting called in. He hoped that he and Alice were on their way to forming a new relationship. If he couldn't be the father she needed then hopefully he could at least be her friend. The fact that she wanted to meet and get to know Ianto was a step in that direction.

"Jack!"

He whirled around and shook his head. "Ianto, no! Go back home and wait for me there!"

If he'd been hoping that his stern tone would be enough to make his lover listen to him then he was sorely disappointed. Ianto gave him an exasperated look and reached for his hand.

"Sorry, Jack, but this is where I need to be." He squeezed Jack's hand to soften the blow and turned towards the others. "So, any idea what we're up against?"

Besides the four of them, Andy, Martha, Mickey and Samantha were prepared to face the danger.

"All we know is that some sort of alien technology has come into contact with the Rift just over there." Mickey pointed towards the bay and then he froze. "Oh my God."

Jack saw his face; it had a very telling expression. He knew that expression. The expression told him more than what words could ever have said. And yet still he turned to see it for himself.

A blue Police Box stood near the railing that overlooked the bay. Martha, Mickey and Jack all recognized it. Ianto knew what it was as well (having been at the Torchwood Institute when it was captured). The other three merely looked confused.

"What is it?" Gwen asked; she prayed that it was not the thing that would take her away from her husband and child. She prayed it would not be the thing that would kill her.

"Hello, old friend."

They all turned simultaneously to look at a man in his thirties wearing a brown pinstriped suit with a pair of white trainers on his feet and glasses on his nose. He was leaning nonchalantly against the back of a bench with a casual air about him.

There was nothing about this man that was casual.

"Doctor."

Consequences be damned? Oh shit, had he really thought that before? He was in trouble now.

End Part One


	2. Chapter 2

Book Two of Torchwood: After the Fall

The End is Where We Start From (continued from PART ONE)

Notes: I normally like to keep my notes separate from the story but I just wanted to clarify that in this part there is a good deal brought out about the Doctor and the Face of Boe. Some mysteries are solved and, yes, finally there will be some alien goodness! Yeah!

~_~_~

_A blue Police Box stood near the railing that overlooked the bay. Martha, Mickey and Jack all recognized it. Ianto knew what it was as well (having been at the Torchwood Institute when it was captured). The other three merely looked confused._

_"What is it?" Gwen asked; she prayed that it was not the thing that would take her away from her husband and child. She prayed it would not be the thing that would kill her._

_"Hello, old friend."_

_They all turned simultaneously to look at a man in his thirties wearing a brown pinstriped suit with a pair of white trainers on his feet and glasses on his nose. He was leaning nonchalantly against the back of a bench with a casual air about him._

_There was nothing about this man that was casual._

_"Doctor."_

_Consequences be damned? Oh shit, had he really thought that before? He was in trouble now._

~_~_~

PART TWO

Jack watched as the Doctor examined Ianto. He could see it in the Doctor's eyes, in the way that he carried himself, that the Doctor was angry.

He supposed that he couldn't blame the Time Lord for his ire. After all, Jack had broken one of the most fundamental Laws of the Universe, Time and Space. He had changed Time. At least Jack had one thing in his corner going for him -- he had done it for love. He only hoped that the Doctor could see that and would understand. The future had been permanently changed. Ianto could not stay dead; therefore the Time Lord could not fulfill his mission to right the wrong that Jack had done.

Ianto was tense as the man who he had only seen at a distance at Torchwood One and onscreen stood too close. He tried to ignore the little nagging voice in his head that hissed at him that this man was the very same man, the reason, that Jack had run away to be with before. He would not dwell on something so trivial as a past love. Besides, after Jack had left for a second time (this time to help fight off the Daleks) the Captain and the Tea Boy had sat down and discussed Ianto's insecurity and Jack had told him that the Doctor had never seen him as anything more than a friend, a companion. Jack's feelings, his desire for the Doctor had been unreturned.

"Jack."

"Doctor."

"We need to talk. _Now_."

"I know." He resigned himself to the argument that was sure to follow. He knew the Doctor well enough to know what to expect when it was a situation like this. After all, he could recall the discussion they'd had on the TARDIS when Rose mentioned the time when she had tried to save her father from dying. The conversation had turned dark and Rose had been close to tears before Jack had intervened and calmed them down with another of his crazy anecdotes.

Ianto climbed off the examination table and started to go to Jack but his lover shook his head at him.

"No Ianto, you stay here. The Doctor and I have to talk in private."

"But as it concerns me, I should be there too." Ianto really didn't want to leave them alone for too long. He had believed Jack when the other man had assured him that there had been nothing between him and the Doctor but now, seeing the man in front of him he could not help but feel threatened. Perhaps it was because of Jack's flirtatious nature but Ianto was always afraid that all it would take was a pretty face or a nice arse and Jack would dump him for another.

"And you will," Jack promised with a smile. "But for right now, we need to talk in private."

Gwen spoke up with an amused look on her face. "In other words, he's about to get chewed out and doesn't want witnesses."

Ianto smirked and nodded. "Well then, by all means go. I'll join you in say, thirty minutes?" His hand was in his pocket, fingers gently stroking the stopwatch that had survived the explosion and that Jack had returned to him.

"That's thirty minutes," Jack grinned. "And counting!" He too was thinking wistfully of the infamous stopwatch.

Jack turned and followed the Doctor who had remained silent during the friendly exchange. They made their way up onto the Plass and into the TARDIS. It looked the same as it had the last time that Jack had been inside. He didn't feel the apprehension that he had expected upon entering it; it must have recognized and accepted him once again. That was a good sign, right?

"Jack." The Doctor turned to face him, a severe expression on his face. "What were you thinking? Never mind, as I doubt you were thinking at all!"

"Actually I've done nothing but think for far too long." Jack raked a hand through his hair and sat down on a bench. "Do you know what is was like Doctor? Do you know what I had to feel, to remember? Do you know how I felt? No, you don't do you? I felt as if there was a piece of me missing that I needed in order to stay sane. I needed him in order to stay ME."

"You've lost pieces of yourself before, remember?" the Doctor snapped. "When we first met you told me about it. Two years of your life, two years' worth of memory wiped away never to be returned. And yet you somehow managed all right."

"This was _different_."

"How? Tell me how this was different."

"Because I lo-_love_ him." Jack's voice choked on the words.

The Doctor frowned and rubbed at his neck.

"And you think that I don't know how you felt? I lost my entire species, every one of my people died and my home world destroyed. Do you think that I haven't been tempted to go back and stop their destruction? And as for love, I understand that as well. Remember Rose Tyler? Do you think that I wouldn't go back and save Rose if I could? Believe me, I would like nothing better than to go back and stop her from disappearing into that alternate dimension in the first place. But now at least she is with someone who can give her everything she deserves. She's alive. She's happy. And that's enough for me to be able to carry on." He tried to convey his empathy for the immortal man's suffering. There really wasn't much that he could do to rectify the current situation, but he had to make Jack understand that what he had done was wrong and why.

Instead of looking ashamed or even just embarrassed, Jack became angry. He had lived far longer than the Doctor ever would. While Time Lords seemed to live forever, that was merely an illusion due to their ability and technology to travel through Time. In reality they could only live a few thousand years at most. It was complicated to think about, but Jack knew that he had lived through more than his oldest friend and knew that there was nothing to be done to change things. Ianto was alive and would remain alive until Time itself had ended. Knowing that did not make Jack any less angry at the Doctor's suggestion that Ianto should have been left dead.

"So it's great that Rose gets a happy ending but Ianto doesn't deserve one? You don't even know him! You don't know what he's capable of! You have no idea what he'll be able to accomplish now that he's got the time to do it."

"No, you're right. But I do know that five years ago Ianto Jones died. I know that the generation of children that he helped to save was filled with great people who made a difference. On the subject of his resurrection, I know that the future of earth and so many other planets has been changed. I also know that so many people will die when they should have lived. And for what? Because you wanted a bloody good shag!"

He hadn't meant to yell, but it was too late to take it back. He flinched inwardly at the look of absolute pain and agony on Jack's scarred face. By Gallifrey's _Spirit*_, he really did love Ianto Jones. The pain of loss was permanently etched into the handsome features and discernable to those who knew what to look for. The Doctor suddenly felt most, if not all, of his anger seep away into nothingness.

"You don't know anything," Jack whispered harshly. "I tried to move on, _I really did_, to only remember the good things. I tried to find a reason to carry on but I couldn't get him out of my head." Jack wiped furiously at the tears that had begun to fall. "Everywhere I went I met people or saw things that reminded me of him. I even tried to wipe my memory of him at one point but it didn't work; I saw a pair of beautiful, expressive blue eyes and I remembered. I couldn't give him up, not even as I became what I first met you as."

"The Face of Boe." The Doctor had been surprised when he had confirmed for himself that Jack was indeed the past of his old friend. Each time he had met Boe he had felt the overwhelming sorrow emanating from the alien. When he had learned about Jack on earth he had slowly pieced it together to figure out why Boe was so sad. There had always been one piece to the mystery missing though. Now, as he looked at Jack, the Doctor realized that the missing piece was Ianto Jones. Captain Jack Harkness, the untamable flirt had fallen completely and totally in love with a young mortal human who he had always known he would one day bury. It had to have been hard for Boe, to love someone so much and never be able to die with him. To have to go through life for billions of years knowing that your one true love, your other half, was long since dead and decomposed into nothing. That was why Boe had been there to witness the destruction of planet earth; he had wanted to see the world where he had learned to love one last time. He had wanted to say goodbye to Ianto. It had not given him the closure he had so desperately sought; instead it had fuelled his ambition by one hundred fold.

_Oh, Boe, my old friend… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that I didn't take the time to understand you. I'm as much to blame for your suffering as the 456. I'm so sorry._

"Yeah, Boe." Jack sat back and chewed at his lip. "I don't even remember how I came to be like that, all I could think about was finding a way back to Ianto. Everything I did was for him. It was always him. I would have suffered the most unimaginable pain if it would let me get back to him."

Something clicked in the Doctor's head. Something that had been bothering him since Jack had first found him again. He vividly recalled the TARDIS struggling to get away from the wrongness that Jack had became, out of shame not fear. The events that had followed had never seemed to make sense no matter how hard he had tried to figure it out. His last meeting with Boe wrapped itself around the memory of a nightmare. YANA sang through his mind. "The Year That Never Was… Boe knew about the Master… Professor Yana -- you said 'You are not alone' -- Oh my… So that means that that year…That nightmare…"

"Yeah, the Master was able to gain a foothold in the past because Time had to be sure that I understood the consequences if I decided to change Time. I felt bad because so many people suffered but I wasn't about to stop it. I remembered it happening before it even happened."

_Nothing like a conversation about Time and Space to mess up one's tenses,_ Jack thought wryly.

"So do you understand?" The Doctor leaned back against the console looking at Jack. Jack had always been childish, irresponsible in his actions. Did he truly understand what he had done? Had he matured in mind and spirit so much that he knew what he had done was wrong and why?

"When I stopped being Boe I was in the darkness. I told Ianto I was coming back to him. For him, it was only a few minutes of his existence. For me it was so much longer. Thousands of millennia I was trapped between life and the darkness. What I suffered because of the Master was nothing in comparison to what I had to endure during that time. I watched as whole universes died and people weren't born. I watched the changes that my choice had brought upon us all. My body is a testament to what I destroyed. Every day when we're together, I'm so scared that the way I look will make him run away from me in revulsion. Yeah Doc, I understand."

"He's going to suffer as well. He may hate you for it when he does," the Doctor warned.

"We've discussed that too. He knows we're linked. His pain and mine are the same now. I think he got slapped earlier actually; my face still stings." He rubbed a bit at the vicious fingerprints on his cheek.

"Hmm, yes, I was wondering about that." The Doctor smiled a little. There really wasn't anything he could do to change things. He could attempt to go back and stop Boe from making the choice but Ianto was now a Fixed Point in Time and Space. The Doctor seriously doubted that he could change that. Sometimes when the past was changed it was best to leave it changed or else to fix it would be more devastating.

There was one more thing though, something small but he was nothing if not curious. He had told Jack about Rose's attempt to save her father, it had been terrifying. This time, no creatures had appeared. Perhaps that meant that Ianto Jones was not supposed to die in the first place. Hmm.

"Jack, the creatures that purge Time impurities… I haven't seen them, haven't detected them."

"Well, it's not like I walked into this blindfolded. I had the permission of Time itself. They wouldn't dare mess with Time."

"No, I suppose not." He chuckled and looked at the Captain. "Only Time Lords and Captain Jack Harkness can do that with style and grace and get away with it!"

Jack's laughter filled up the TARDIS and the ship sang.

*Gallifrey's _Spirit_: Just a made-up term for a curse or exclamation; like My goodness, Of my God, etc… Not from DW or TW, at least I don't think so.

~_~_~

By the time Ianto had stepped onto the Plass both Jack and the Doctor had gotten over their anger and were waiting for him.

Ianto tentatively moved to stand next to Jack and smiled a little as Jack wrapped an arm around his waist. Jack rubbed his nose against Ianto's temple and smiled.

"Doctor, meet Ianto Jones. Ianto, this is the Doctor."

"Hello, sir," Ianto said holding out a (shaky, damn) hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

The Doctor chuckled as he took the (shaky) hand in his own. "I doubt that. Jack's no doubt done very little to assure you that he and I are just friends."

"Uh…" Ianto really had no clue as to what to say in response to that.

"Hey now!" Jack mock scowled at the Time Lord. "No picking on the Captain." He tightened his hold onto Ianto and the Doctor's gaze softened.

"I'm only kidding, of course. Ianto Jones." He smiled at the younger man. "You are indeed something special because even if I wanted to change things, I don't believe that I would be allowed."

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Ianto said. Change things? What did that mean? Oh God, had the Doctor come here to do more than chat? Had he come to kill Ianto?

"My ship is linked to Time. Time has chosen to make you like Jack and forever link you to it. My ship, the TARDIS, seems to like you too. So since so many things that are dear to me accept you as you are now, I accept you too. I believe that you're strong enough to overcome anything that is thrown at you. Now!" He clapped his hands and grinned like a fool. "Jack has spent the last several minutes raving nonstop about your coffee making skills. Normally I am a tea man, but that's mainly because it's so difficult to find someone who truly knows how to make a good cup of joe."

Ianto couldn't help but smile. His lover did indeed like to brag about Ianto's coffee, he'd always done so.

"Well then, according to TOSH* the Rift should be rather quiet today. How about we say goodbye to the others and head back to ours'?"

"Sounds like a well-thought out plan to me," Jack said with a teasing grin, which made his lover blush and smack his arm lightly.

"Arse."

*TOSH-- what Gwen chose to name the Rift monitoring program, in honor of the lovely, forever missed Toshiko Sato. Rather fitting, don't you think?

~_~_~

Three Days Later:

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Ianto groaned and lifted his head to look at the clock. 3:28 a.m. Dammit.

He slowly pushed himself up and reached for his mobile. Gwen's number flashed across the screen so he flipped open the phone.

"Had best be important. Just because I don't need nearly as much shut-eye as you doesn't mean that I enjoy being woken up in the middle of the night."

"Sorry, Sweetheart," Gwen said soothingly. "Rift activity. Samantha and Mickey are on their way to the location. I'll text it to you and the both of you can meet us there."

Jack was all ready getting dressed, the wanker, as Gwen was talking. Ianto wanted to curse his lover for being able to wake up so quickly (mentally and physically) but instead he simply informed Gwen that they were on the way and snapped the phone shut.

"You know," he muttered as he drug himself out from beneath the covers and reached for his clothes (Jack was all ready dressed). "Just because I said that we were more than ready to start back to work doesn't mean that I wanted to be pulled from a pleasant dream at this ungodly hour."

"Ah, but you're so cute when you're all rumpled from shagging and sleeping!" Jack grinned at him as he passed him a brush.

"Sod off."

"Love you too, Baby." Jack's grin widened at the sound that came from his lover. "Was that a growl?"

"Oh shut up you." His shoes tied and hair somewhat presentable, Ianto was ready for whatever the Rift had in store for them. "Let's go."

"Ooh, I love it when you get bossy."

"OUT. Now."

"Yes sir!"

The drive was a short one and within minutes they had joined the other three. Gwen smiled at them and double-checked her gun.

"So what is it?" Jack asked, all business.

"Not sure," Gwen said. "Hopefully it's just a piece of tech for Mickey to play with."

Jack was about to reply when an ear-piercing scream rent the air. They all raised their guns and Mickey consulted his scanner.

"There's a great deal of energy from about fifty meters THAT way." He pointed to the left, down through a field.

They hurried into the field and kept an eye out for anything amiss. It didn't take long for them to find the alien.

It was a nearly six feet tall humanoid with clawed hands and a tail like a whip. Teeth that were razor sharp glistened as they in the moonlight dripped with some sort of grayish slime. It's body was covered with red scales and patches of cream-colored fur on its' naked torso.

"Jack, recognize it?" Gwen asked.

"No, I don't." Jack frowned as he looked at the alien. The way it snarled at them told him it probably wasn't friendly. He really wished that the translator that Toshiko had been so fond of hadn't been lost then maybe they could understand the growls.

"Ok," he said. "Johnson, Gwen -- you two go right while Mickey and Ianto take the left. I'll cover the front."

"Hold on!" Gwen snapped. "In case you've forgotten, you said you did not want to be in charge. Don't go tossing out orders now, not on your first mission in how many years?"

"Well, unlike you," Jack retorted. "I've had much more experience with sharp-toothed aliens. Therefore what I decide is probably the better course of action."

"You mean arrogance," Johnson said acidly. She was not dealing well with having to work with Harkness and Jones. Yes, she had worked with Harkness before, but that was because there had been no other choice. She truly regretted her previous actions against Torchwood, but she had not come to like or respect Harkness anymore than before the 456. Besides, Torchwood had functioned just fine without the cocky Captain at its' helm.

"Oy!" Mickey exclaimed. "I think he's right. He traveled with the Doctor and helped save the world loads of times. He knows what he's doing."

"Thank you, Mickey! Remind me to not call you Mickey Mouse for a while," Jack said throwing a triumphant look at the women.

"You got it, Captain Cheesecake."

"Um, guys," Ianto said worriedly watching the alien. It was starting to get antsy. Never a good sign, in his opinion. Too bad he was ignored in favor of the argument.

"Oh, of course the men stick together!" Gwen huffed angrily. "It's always the same with you, isn't Jack? Charge in with guns blazing and tear everything up, leaving a mess for the rest of us to clean up! Not anymore! We contain the threat and ask questions _before_ we shoot, not after."

"So you just assume that because I think we should surround it that means that I want to kill it? So you think I'm a monster then?"

"That's what it appears to me!" Johnson fumed at Jack's brashness. The arrogant git. She longed for a concrete block to contain him; at least he wouldn't be able to run his mouth.

"Guys…" Ianto tried again. Oh, it was definitely _not_ a happy alien. It was now crouched down on its' haunches clawing in agitation at the ground.

"Maybe you should try listening to what he has to say before you make a snap judgment," Mickey said in an angry tone. He hadn't been Jack's biggest fan before but that was because of Rose. Rose was in his past, all of that was over with. Besides, Mickey knew enough about what had happened five years ago to know that Jack had been forced into a situation that was out of his control and had lost everything because of it. His respect for the other man had increased greatly even before the man himself had returned. In fact, he had always kinda hoped that Jack would return so that he could work with him.

"Oh? And what exactly would Captain Jack Harkness do then, hm?" Gwen said her eyes alight with simmering rage. No, she would not allow a possibly innocent, probably scared alien to be hurt or killed just because Jack wanted to make a point. The events of five years ago had changed her outlook when it came to Torchwood and aliens. She truly believed that peaceful relations were entirely possible.

"Oh, _now_ you ask!" Jack snapped back. Before either woman could reply he continued. "Like you I think it should be captured as peacefully as possible. I want to try to communicate with it but -- _not now Ianto_ -- we have to be prepared to take it down if necessary. THAT'S what I think we should --"

"Oy, you lot! _WILL YOU SHUT UP_!"

They all turned to star at Ianto who was giving them the scariest look he could manage. It was pretty scary. And it was enough to make them all fall silent and focus on him.

"Honestly, even _Owen_ paid me more attention than all of you put together. Look!"

They all followed his finger. The alien was clearly ready to pounce.

"Shit!"

"Yeah, how about we take care of this and then argue ethics?" Ianto said tersely. He raised his gun, wishing he had a stun gun, and took aim.

Unfortunately they had argued for too long. As they all took aim the alien lunged at them, its' body going straight for Johnson. Ianto saw this and knew that it was very likely that she would be ripped to shreds. He threw himself in front of her and felt a searing pain lance through him.

"IANTO!"

Oh God, oh Mother of Life, Ianto was torn in half. Jack couldn't move as he watched his lover get ripped apart. It was worse than anything he had suffered at the hands of the Master. It was worse than anything he had suffered when he changed Time. It was far worse than dying and seeing Ianto in the darkness sobbing his heart out for his Captain.

Jack began to tremble, not even noticing that his own body was falling to pieces.

There was so much blood. It covered the ground and the alien.

Mickey and Johnson, who had frozen in shock as the alien attacked, fired at the alien in vain. There was nothing they could do for Ianto, but they hoped to take it down.

Gwen got over her own shock, having seen Jack die numerous times before, and pulled out a portable containment cell. She watched as the alien staggered away from Ianto's torn body and then threw the cell at it. It opened and quickly encased the alien. It would not last long, but thankfully the alien had been injured badly enough for it collapse unconscious.

"Everyone all right?" she asked breathless.

"You mean besides Ianto and-- shit!"

Mickey looked like he was going to be ill. Gwen could now see why. Just as Ianto lay in pieces in a pool of his own blood, so did Jack several yards away. She then recalled a conversation that she'd had with him a few days back.

_"So if he gets a scratch, you will too?"_

_"Yep. Every single injury he gets I'll get. It's a two-way street I'm afraid. If I get hurt, so will he."_

_"Oh, I'm so sorry!"_

_"Don't be. It's but a small price I have to pay in order to be with him."_

_"But it's so difficult for him when you die, how will you both cope?"_

_"We'll manage. We always do. I'll just have to get used to not waking up in his arms right after. It'll give me an excuse to hold him tightly all night long."_

_"Arse."_

_"Yep."_

"Oh! Oh no!" Suddenly she wished that she had explained her plan, told Jack about the containment cell. It was standard procedure now to always carry one on yourself, just in case. But she had been too busy running Torchwood and trying to forget all of the pain from before that she hadn't thought ahead. How stupid was that?

She moved to kneel next to Jack while Mickey went to Ianto. Johnson hurried to get the van to place the alien in. They all felt helpless.

For Gwen, she felt most sorry for Ianto. He had never asked for this and yet he had put himself in danger because he knew that he would survive. But to have to suffer his first death since his rebirth in such a horrible fashion cut her to the core. If they had worked together and had listened when Ianto had tried to get their attention then this would not have happened.

~_~_~

"UAH!" The gasp of life returning to his body hurt almost as much as dying. Ianto's back arched painfully as he tried to move.

"Shh, just relax. Let it happen."

Jack. That was Jack's voice!"

He opened his eyes and stared at his lover. Jack looked exhausted as he held Ianto close to him.

"Jack?" he croaked tiredly. God, dying was a very exhausting experience. When it had happened before it had felt like going to sleep. Now it felt like that plus it hurt like hell. He raised a shaky hand to touch a sweaty brow. "Are you okay?"

The laugh that came from Jack was nervous and as shaky as Ianto's hand. "Oh, you idiot. Of course I'm okay!"

"But I remember… I was torn in half. I could feel it. All of it. So I know you did too." Breathing was getting easier. That was good. And Jack's body was so warm. Mmm, he could just go to sleep right now and be happy.

"Yeah, I could. But it's over now. The Hub's got a new pet, though I'm leaving it to Gwen to name." He pressed a kiss to Ianto's head. "I'm sorry. This is my fault."

"Pardon?"

"If I had just let Gwen do it her way, if I hadn't gotten so bossy -- sexy on you though -- this wouldn't have happened."

"No offense, but it's not entirely your fault. Just a big part of it."

"He's right."

Martha had been busy with a report and had left the two men alone, although she felt that she had to speak her mind now.

"You're used to being in charge, so is Gwen. The four of you were so busy engaging in battles of the sexes that you let it over cloud your judgment. That's why Ianto got hurt." Not killed, she would not think of it in that term. She couldn't.

Jack regarded her for a moment before letting out a chuckle. "Battle of the sexes? Yeah, that's what it was. Me and Mickey against Gwen and Johnson. Being immortal and very old doesn't always make one wise." He sighed and hugged Ianto. "Forgive me?"

"Of course. I always do." Ianto carefully pushed himself up. He looked down and saw that he was completely healed. From what he knew about Jack's immortality and deaths he would feel like crap for a bit after he woke. He figured that as he was not yet accustomed to dying it would take him a bit longer to feel normal again. Jack was making dinner tonight.

"You need to talk to Gwen. Actually, I think that we need to have a team meeting," Martha said as she came over to check Ianto over. Jack had awakened over an hour ago, no doubt because he'd been through this so many times before. "There needs to be some sort of arrangement about who's in charge of what and when. Compromises need to be made and kept. Torchwood can't afford to have something like this happen again. Dissension among us will only result in the team being torn apart."

She was right. They had to work together.

"I'm taking Ianto home for the day. Tell Gwen to call a team meeting tomorrow so that we can discuss this. You're right; we have to work this out now. Next time it could be one of you that gets hurt." Jack stood and helped his lover to his feet.

Martha stepped back to allow them to leave. She smiled as they passed her. Today had been difficult for all of them but it was only one milestone that they needed in order to be a team. She reached for her comm unit to call Gwen.

~_~_~

Jack tucked Ianto's head beneath his chin and sighed. He was ready for sleep.

"Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"You said that we could leave now and be back right after right?"

"Yes, why?"

"I think that after today we both need to clear our head a bit. I was thinking that perhaps we could go somewhere for a little holiday. Somewhere nice and quiet so we can relax. We can go away for a few weeks and be at the Hub tomorrow for the meeting."

Jack immediately thought of the different places he could take Ianto. He knew his lover's tastes and dislikes. He smiled as he thought of the perfect place.

"How do you feel about day-long massages and sandy beaches where the oceans are teeming with life and the nights are as warm as the days?"

"Sounds lovely. Can we go now?"

"Take a nap first; you're going to need it once I get us booked. You know, the sea water on Ffrana has aphrodisiac properties…"

Ianto was all ready asleep. Jack smiled and held him closer. Tomorrow they would go on holiday. Then they would settle things with Gwen. Tomorrow. For now, he would sleep.

End Part Two

~_~_~

Part Three will be up soon. Hopefully next week. I hope that this part was less depressing but I did need the angst and drama to help round things out. Expect more teamwork in Part Three!!


	3. Chapter 3

Book Two of Torchwood: After the Fall

The End is Where We Start From (continued from PART TWO)

NOTES!!!! Much more light hearted than before. I _promise_. There is some drama, and a surprise guest at the end, but this is the last part of Book Two and I wanted to show how the team is now slowly starting to accept everything and move on with their lives. Enjoy!!

~_~_~

_"How do you feel about day-long massages and sandy beaches where the oceans are teeming with life and the nights are as warm as the days?"_

_"Sounds lovely. Can we go now?"_

_"Take a nap first; you're going to need it once I get us booked. You know, the sea water on Ffrana has aphrodisiac properties…"_

_Ianto was all ready asleep. Jack smiled and held him closer. Tomorrow they would go on holiday. Then they would settle things with Gwen. Tomorrow. For now, he would sleep._

~_~_~

PART THREE

Gwen was mad. No, scratch that; Gwen was furious.

"You what?" she demanded. Her clenched fists were pressed against her narrow hips as she faced the immortal Captain with a dark glare on her face.

Jack raised an eyebrow at her tone as he took in her expression and stance. He regarded her with an air of annoyance. He did not see any reason for her to be angry with him. He had done nothing wrong.

"I don't know why you're so upset, Gwen. We're here now aren't we?"

"Yes, but that's _not_ the point!"

"Then what _is_ the point?"

"You left! You left _again_!"

"And?"

"Dammit Jack, I didn't think you'd just up and leave -- abandon me again! _But you did_!"

Jack sighed and closed his eyes. He forced himself to count to ten (first in English followed by a couple of alien languages) as he took a deep, calming breath. He opened his eyes and looked at her angry face.

"Gwen, I told you before that I would be taking Ianto to explore the universe from time to time.

It's not as if Torchwood, Earth or you own us. Do not presume to tell me what to do with my life. If I want to take my partner for a much needed holiday away from everything for a bit then I will."

"But Jack," Gwen protested. "You said that you were gone for a year. A year!"

"Yes, we were. It was a year for Ianto and I, but for you it's the morning after Ianto was ripped apart by an alien because of our bickering."

She frowned at him. "You were too, remember?"

The sight of the two of them torn to pieces and scattered in twin pools of blood had kept her up all night. It was the worst of Jack's deaths she had seen (she was very grateful that she had not seen the pieces that the Hub's destruction had left him in five years previous) and the resulting resurrection had shaken all of them deeply. Alice had not left her father's side while he slowly healed, his body stitching itself back together bit by severed bit. The older woman had only left the room after Jack had been checked over by Martha and insisted that Ianto would not be pleased to wake up and see everyone there hovering over him.

"Gwen, yes, I remember being torn apart. I remember every single death I've experienced. Thankfully I've only been torn up like that twice. Yes, I felt it, all of it. But for me the worst of it was feeling what Ianto was going through."

"You could feel that?"

"We're linked, remember? The bond we share -- that I forced onto him -- means that his pains have truly become my own. If you were to pinch me now, he would feel it."

Gwen turned away from him and looked at the picture of her daughter that sat on her desk.

"But a whole year…" Her voice was soft. She picked up the picture and tried to imagine what it would be like if she had done that; what all might she have missed if she ran away for a year?

"Like I said, it was for us. Me and him. Not for you."

"But what if you'd miscalculated? What if instead of popping back in a few hours after, you didn't return until Stephanie was an old woman?"

Jack gaped at her in shock. "Gwen, I…"

"Every day that you're gone for so long, while it's a brief time for me, might make you forget us here."

She turned back to look at him. "Jack, I know that one day you and Ianto will have no one left here to make you want to stay on earth. True, Ianto's family will most likely still be here generations from now but eventually, one day you'll both leave. One day Captain Harkness will whisk his immortal lover away from this little planet and never look back. I can live with that. What I can't live with is that one day Gwen Cooper will fade from your memories, both of yours', like I never existed." She tried to not let the tears show but it wasn't to be.

"That won't happen." He sounded so sure of that.

"It could." As did she.

"But it won't."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because although my sole purpose for so long was to find Ianto again I kept my memories of you, and Owen and Tosh, alive. Not only did those memories of you all contain bits of him but you help keep me sane."

"Yes, but you have him back now. There's no need to remember us millions of years in the future."

"Do you think that Ianto Jones, the man of total recall, would allow me to forget any of you?" Jack smiled gently at her. "No, Gwen Cooper-Williams, you're all too important. Yes, one day, long after you're gone, he and I will leave this planet for good. But we'll tell the tale of Torchwood and its' faithful soldiers led by you. No, we won't ever be able to forget you, Gwen."

He reached out and pulled her in for a hug. They stood silent for several moments.

"So," Jack said finally. "Want me to tell you about Ianto running naked through a crowd of alien paparazzi?"

~_~_~

Lois smiled as she took the coffee that was offered to her. She had to admit that no one could make coffee like Ianto Jones. His brew was at just the right temperature and just the right strength. It was as if he _knew_ coffee; the perfect formula to create the perfect cup of heaven.

"Mmm… Oh this is divine," she murmured after the first sip.

"Thank you," came Ianto's gentle voice.

"Yeah, it's fantastic!" Mickey said between dreamy sips.

"No doubt enhanced by alien technology."

Ianto was at least glad that he was not the only one to spit out his drink. The three of them turned to look at Samantha Johnson with identical looks of shock coupled with disbelief at her calmly spoken statement.

Samantha was leaning against the wall in her typical black field uniform, her arms folded across her chest. Her dark brown hair was pulled into a tight, efficient braid and she wore almost no makeup. It was not in her to fully care about her appearance. She had been bred and trained to be a soldier, not a fashion plate. Her pretty face was blank as she looked at them.

"Tell me that you're joking," Mickey said as he looked down at the cup in his hand.

"She is," Ianto said firmly. He had picked up a napkin was sopping up the coffee he had spat onto himself.

"How can you tell?" Andy asked as he joined them, automatically reaching for a cup. He had been a fan of Ianto's coffee before he had joined Torchwood. There had been several instances, mainly after Owen and Tosh died, where he had helped them solve a case or at the least had told them about it and Ianto had served him coffee. The case he remembered best, the one that stuck out in his memory the most was the night of the zombies. He had adored watching zombie movies before that night; now he cringed whenever he even heard the word 'zombie.'

"Because her left eyebrow waggles a bit when she's kidding around."

Samantha and Ianto gazed at each other. Neither was blinking; it had become a staring contest. Everyone stared at the two of them curious as to who would blink first, who would cave and surrender to the other.

"Oh now this is going to be good. No one can go so long without blinking like Ianto can," Jack said with a mischievous grin.

"Don't be so sure," Gwen said. "Samantha has stared down aliens and politicians. She even made one politician cry."

Martha, Rhys and Alice came into the library and saw the rest of the team standing by the coffee station watching Ianto and Samantha stare each other down. Naturally they were intrigued (and curiously amused) so they quietly made their way over to the group.

The twin gazes remained locked for what felt like an eternity. Everyone waited with bated breath to see who would win. Finally, a pair of eyes closed so briefly it was almost missed. Almost.

"Ianto Jones, if I didn't know better, I'd swear you were an alien yourself." Samantha's tone was flat but her lips were quirked into a half smile. The game was over, she had lost. She was a graceful loser.

"You wouldn't be the first to think that," Ianto said with a small smile of his own. He leaned back into Jack as the other man came up behind him and grabbed his belt loops. He loved the way that Jack was always warm; he himself had always been a little bit colder. He also loved how what could have become a tense argument ("Alien technology to make coffee? How dare you!" "I dare!") had been instead a few moments of frivolity.

Perhaps working together wasn't going to be so difficult after all. Ianto had been worried that he would resent the woman's presence. He had felt rage upon seeing her that first day because he remembered Jack being shot and the bomb placed inside his stomach. He remembered the way he had felt as he watched her pack up the body parts and take Jack away. The sound of Jack's painful screams as his body grew itself again had made sleep impossible that night. He had barely managed to keep his emotions in check as he'd watched the cement truck trap his lover in a cell. That was the reason he had chosen to go with Jack to the Thames House. It was not just to be with his lover as they faced the threat. He had feared that if he saw Samantha Johnson up close he would not have hesitated to kill her in revenge for what she had done.

He had ignored her when he had first been brought back. Now though, now he could see himself counting her amongst his colleagues without difficulty.

"Okay you lot," Gwen clapped her hands. "Since we're all here, we'll just have our meeting now. Grab a coffee; not made with alien technology or alien beans. Get yourselves comfortable as we might be here a while."

~_~_~

In the end Gwen was left in charge of the bulk of things. Jack had become a pseudo second in command. He would also be the one in charge whenever there was an alien threat he knew and they had not encountered before. Jack had also agreed (after much glowering and prodding from Ianto) that because of their inability to stay dead he and Ianto would split up on the most dangerous assignments. This was for everyone's benefit, not to punish.

Ianto had taken over the archives once again but he was more than a little grateful to have Alice and Lois help him. They had made an admirable attempt to organize the storage rooms but agreed readily to a complete overhaul. It wouldn't take too long, a week or two, to sort out the various artefacts. This was mainly due to the fact that most of the artefacts housed in Torchwood III were from the past five years as well as a few that had been sent from Torchwood II and UNIT.

Samantha was insistent that everyone brush up on their weapons and combat skills, something that Gwen and Jack agreed to. Each day, Rift providing, they would spend a couple of hours on the firing range honing their skills. After all, Gwen reasoned, a wise man once told her that the 21st century was when everything was going to change and they had to be ready.

Jack had smirked at that little comment. Now he was sitting on a couch with a report in his hands. He looked up at the sound of footsteps.

"Dad?"

"Hey." He smiled and set the report down.

Alice sat down across from him and bit her lip before speaking. "I was wondering if you and Ianto would like to come to dinner later this week?"

That was unexpected. In fact, all though she had said that they were okay, he hadn't expected such an invitation so soon. Seeing him dead again must have affected her more than they'd thought.

"We'd love to, but we can't. Not this week."

"Oh." The disappointment was evident on her face.

"It's just that Ianto's sister invited us to her house this week for dinner. He wants to see her family again, his niece and nephew. Considering how unstable the Rift is and with him having staged a nonhostile takeover of the archives," he smiled at her smile. "I doubt we'd have the time this week. But next week, most definitely. The end of the world couldn't keep us away. Especially if you're doing the cooking. Ianto can't cook worth a damn."

"Dad!"

"I heard that!"

They looked up to see Ianto come into the room with a box in his hands. He joined Jack on the couch and set the box down on the table. He smiled at Alice as he leaned back against the cushions.

"So why are you insulting my culinary skills?"

"You mean lack of," Jack said with a smirk. "I remember one time you tried to make Shepard's pie and ended up with pureed meat and vegetable mush."

"Shut up." Ianto swatted him lightly on the arm and looked at Alice. "Try to ignore him. I may not be the best cook, but at least I know to preheat the oven. Don't even get me started on the various times he's tried to make biscuits and failed."

Alice chuckled and shook her head. "Oh, I could tell you tales of Jack Harkness' futile attempts in the kitchen."

"I'll swap you story for story, if you like. Complete with pictures."

"Oy!" Jack protested good-naturedly. This was better and more than he could have ever hoped for. His daughter and his lover getting along was worth any suffering he had to endure.

Ianto chuckled and stood to go make a fresh pot of coffee. "So what were you two conspiring about before I stepped in and ruined your dastardly plans?"

"Alice invited us to dinner at her house." Jack gauged his lover's reaction. It was one thing to joke around with each other at the Hub, but dinner with the in-laws (such as it was) was an entirely different matter.

"Oh, that sounds nice. Take-away is getting boring. And conversation with you always leads to sex. Not that I'm complaing, but we do need to get out more." Ianto turned and leaned against the coffee making station as he waited for the coffee to brew. "Which reminds me -- Rhiannon said that tomorrow evening would be great for us to stop by. The kids both got grounded for the weekend and so can't go out anyway."

"What did she tell them?" Jack asked. It would be helpful to know ahead of time so that they didn't let anything slip out in conversation.

"Just that I was in an accident that resulted in a coma and rehabilitation to recover. Johnny knows the truth but we thought it best that David and Mica believe I was hurt. Besides, cover ups are all the rage." He poured them each a coffee and came back over to the couch.

"That's probably a good idea," Alice said. "Kids don't always think before they speak. It was hard for me knowing that my father couldn't die. I lost track of how many lectures I received on the importance of secrecy. I was afraid to even write about it in my diary because I thought Mom would get angry and punish me."

"Hmm. Yes, well, David could probably deal with not telling his friends. He's always been a bright boy. But Mica's still at that age where she doesn't quite grasp what a secret is. I do intend on being in their lives for a while, so one day we'll have to broach the subject again. One day they're going to notice that Uncle Ianto isn't getting any older."

Alice remembered her father saying something very similar once. It was the day that all of the horror had begun, the first day the children had spoken in unison across the world. She had seen the longing in his eyes as he looked at Steven. She only wished that the longing had not been overshadowed by the need to run tests on a child. Her maternal instincts had kicked in at the thought of her father experimenting on her son.

_"It's because you're dangerous!"_

Yes, her father was a dangerous man indeed. Heaven help anyone who crossed him. She had watched him as she grew up, seen the way he used all of his intellect to intimidate those around him. A calculated look with narrowed eyes, a casual stance and cold smile…. His tone, low and calm, had been the final piece that would undo the strongest of men.

She had been as much afraid of her adoration of the man as she had the man himself. It had also been a wake up call for her after her son's funeral. Her father had gone and she had only then realized just how much he meant to her, what he had been forced to do and what he had lost. She also knew that she was partly to blame for what happened to Steven. If she had let her father take him to Torchwood to run his tests they would have discovered the 456 sooner and been able to plan. She had known that her father would never have intentionally hurt her son but she had still been upset over her mother. She had known that her father loved her mother but that he was also not exclusive. Alice knew that it was her resentment that had played a part in the death of her little boy.

She looked at Ianto. It was so painfully clear that this young man loved her father more than anything. She didn't have to know that he was cheerfully bearing the burden of changing Time in order to see his devotion. The love and affection was there in his eyes, plain for all to see.

"How about early next week, say Tuesday, then?" she asked.

Ianto and Jack smiled at her.

"That would be lovely, Ms.," Ianto said raising his cup to her.

"Call me Alice," she insisted. "If you can put up with this sod for even a day, let alone eternity, then you're definitely family."

Jack's smile turned into a grin. "I just got a great idea!"

"Oh no," Ianto groaned. "The last time you said that I ended up naked and locked in a cell with Rhys." At Alice's shocked look he added, "Trust me, you don't want to know." He glared at Jack. "What exactly is this 'great idea' of yours'?"

"Well, I was thinking, after we have dinner with your sister and with Alice that maybe we should have a big family dinner. And when I say family, I mean a Torchwood family dinner. Ooh, or maybe a picnic! We still have some summer left before it gets too cold. We could go to that little wooded area where I first met you. There's a lake near by and all, no one would get too bored."

Ianto and Alice exchanged a surprised look.

"That's actually a good idea. And I have to agree with Ianto that most of your ideas aren't."

"All right then," Jack said with a grin. "We'll talk to the others to set up a date and decide who'll bring what. I'll make some biscuits."

"No!" Ianto and Alice both shouted, laughing at the mock-hurt look on Jack's face.

Jack couldn't keep the façade for long though before his face practically split in two with a broad, happy smile. His family, his dear family, was on the road to healing. Life was great!

~_~_~

"Are you okay, Uncle Ianto?" Mica asked with a worried look on her face.

"Yeah, right as rain, Mica. Oww…"

"I'm so sorry Ianto, Jack!" Rhiannon pressed a bag of frozen peas gently against Ianto's jaw. "If I'd have known he was going to be that mad I wouldn't have left the room."

"It's okay," Jack assured her as he attempted a smile for Mica, who was pressing a bag of frozen corn to his jaw. "Not the first time I've have a run in with a fist, won't be the last either."

"No doubt," Ianto muttered.

They were all at the kitchen table at the Davies' house. David had drug his father outside for a walk to try to get him to cool down. Rhiannon was mortified that her husband had punched her brother's lover in the first place.

_"He's the reason we have to suffer, to grieve for five years, Rhi! And you just let him in without tell' him off!"_

She winced. She had told Johnny everything that Gwen and more recently Ianto had told her about the 456 and Ianto's 'condition.' She had been so sure that her husband, the daft sod, had understood but considering the large angry purple bruises marring the faces of the two men at her table, it appeared she was wrong.

"Uncle Ianto, are you an alien?"

They all looked at Mica with identical looks of surprise.

"Why would you think that, Sweetheart?" Ianto asked.

"Daddy hit Uncle Jack but you got a bruise too. Either you're a wizard or an alien. And since Bobby O'Riley says that wizards aren't real then you must be an alien," she said in that tone of reason and logic that only young children could master.

Ianto couldn't help but smile (damn, that hurt!) at his niece and then glanced at Jack. Seeing the matching smile he turned back to the little, precocious child.

"I'm not an alien or a wizard but it's sorta like magic."

"Like how?" Ah, the curiosity of youth!

"Well, Uncle Jack and I care deeply for each other…"

"You mean you love him and he loves you."

"That's right." Ianto blushed as Jack took hold of his hand. "But Jack is really, really special. Because we love each other his special powers to heal quickly, like magic, have been shared with me. But that means that if he gets hurt so will I."

"Hmm. How did Uncle Jack get like that?"

Now Jack spoke up. "One day, a long time ago," he said in a tone that made Mica smile and Ianto and Rhiannon recall childhoods filled with story times. "A really magical Doctor and a pretty girl named Rose--"

"Like a flower?"

"Yep! And she was just like a flower. Well, the Doctor and Rose met the handsome Jack and together they traveled all over the universe. They were together for a long time. Then they found this really cool space station and were having fun when these bad guys showed up and tried to take over. The Doctor and Rose were able to escape while Jack fought the bad guys for them and then Jack got hurt. Rose used a special power of her own to save Jack but he was separated from her and the Doctor. Jack came here, to earth to wait for his Doctor. But while he was here, he discovered that he could heal real fast, like magic. After waiting and waiting for years for the Doctor and Rose to find him, he met the quiet, mysterious, gorgeous Ianto. Now, Ianto at first just wanted to work for Jack but eventually he fell hopelessly in love with Jack. The two of them now share the same healing magic because Jack fell in love too."

"And they got to live happily ever after?" Mica asked excitedly. She was still young enough to appreciate faerytales.

"Yep. The end." Jack ruffled her hair and smiled.

"I like that story! You should make a book and I could draw pictures!" She leaned close and whispered in Jack's ear. "I won't tell anybody that you and Uncle Ianto are magic aliens."

Ianto and Rhiannon smiled at each other.

"Oy, you lot! We got ice cream!" Johnny shouted as he and David came back in.

Once the kids were in the basement watching the telly, the adults moved out to the backyard patio. Ianto was pleased that his sister and her family had moved into this bigger house with a proper yard for the kids to play in. It was just a few miles from where they had lived before but it was a nicer neighborhood.

He leaned back and closed his eyes. His jaw was nearly healed now though it still throbbed a bit.

"Look, I'm sorry that I hit you but not sorry for why."

Ianto opened his eyes and looked at his brother in-law. Johnny and Jack were sitting across from each other, Johnny with an angry look on his face while Jack's face was blank.

"I'm not going to apologize anymore for what happened," Jack said. "Yes, Ianto's dying was my fault. Completely my fault. He should never have been withy me that day. Hell, in all fairness, I never should have given in and hired him seven years ago. But I'm through apologizing."

"I'm not askin' for an apology. I hit you because I was rememberin' how upset my wife was, how afraid we all were -- not because I hate you. I was at the funeral service too. I saw how sad you were. And I also know that you refused to leave the burial site when it as time to put the casket in the ground. You stayed there the entire time watching them and telling them to be careful, that Ianto didn't like the dark."

Ianto looked at his lover in surprise. "I didn't know that!"

"Because no one told you," Jack said. 'Look, I can't take back what happened. All I can do is promise to do my best to protect him and all of you."

Johnny studied him for a moment. He nodded. "See to it that you take good care of him then. I've known him since he was just a whiny little brat, you see. Didn't want me dating his sister. When I proposed he stole the ring and tried to run away. Thought it'd make me give up."

"Oy!" Ianto blushed at the memory. "I was ten!"

"Cheeky bastard, you were!" Rhiannon said fondly. She remembered Johnny running out the door after her brother and coming back into the house with him over his shoulder, the ring still clutched in his little fist. "At the wedding," she said to Jack. "He was the ring bearer and he's got the most adorable pout on his face in all of the pictures. He even went so far as to sneak up behind us when we were cutting the cake and smashed a piece into Johnny's face!"

"He didn't!" Jack laughed at the image of his collected, cool, calm lover being a normal kid.

"He did! Oh, Mum was so mad! Dad just laughed and held the camera. I was so embarrassed!" She giggled and looked at her brother. "Oh, look at you! Pouting like a baby!"

"Am not!" came the indignant reply. Ianto was slouched down in his seat with his arms folded and a scowl (and a pout) on his face. As they all laughed at his plight he turned on the full Ianto Jones Death Glare (patent pending) at them. "Gits. Every last one of you."

"Oh, Tiger Pants! You know you love it!" Jack said with an affectionate grin at his lover.

Rhiannon smiled when she heard that. She was suddenly taken back to the last time her brother had been in her home, the day her children and every other child had spoken those terrifying words.

_"He is really handsome."_

_"No!"_

_"Now stop it."_

Her brother had always been very private. Every since he was little he had been so quiet and reserved. The only things that had broken through that persona were anything that upset his little ideal world. Whenever she had dated Ianto had gotten sullen and acted out. It had gotten worse when Johnny came into her life. He had been jealous of the man who he saw as taking away his sister. Then later when their mother's illness began to affect her everyday life poor Ianto had been devastated. He had positively adored his mother and couldn't understand what was going on. When he had been about fourteen they'd had no choice but to send her away. Ianto had become withdrawn and angry, taking it out on their father. At least they had managed a reconciliation of sorts before the heart attack took their father from them too.

For Ianto to not tell her about Jack was not really that far of a stretch. He had only ever told her things that would not get tongues wagging and the gossip spinning.

_"It's not men. It's just…him. It's only him. And I'm not even sure what it is, so no broadcasting it."_

The look in his eyes, their mother's eyes, had told her more than those few sentences ever could. She had wanted to press him more but then Johnny had come in and let it out that yes, she had indeed been part of the gossip train.

_"It's only him."_

That alone had made her want to cry. Ianto had always been so careful to not share himself with others. Even Lisa (poor thing) had not been able to do more than put a dent in the shield Ianto had erected around his heart. But Jack Harkness had gone beyond denting. He had smashed through the damned thing and completely stolen her brother's heart. If her brother thought that Jack was worth dying for again and again then who was she to not approve?

"So, are you going to make an honest man outta him anytime soon or what?"

"Johnny!"

~_~_~

"Thank you for tonight, Jack," Ianto said as they drove back home. It was just after 9 p.m. and the sky was clear; it looked like a very lovely night.

"No problem. I enjoyed hearing about you as a kid. We'll definitely have to go back."

"Well, I'm sorry about Johnny. For hitting you and that whole 'honest man' bit."

"Don't bit. Especially about that last bit." Jack reached over and squeezed his hand. "It's certainly not an unpleasant thought."

"Jack…" Ianto said in a warning tone.

"Well, maybe not right now," Jack conceded. Marriage was a touchy subject, obviously. He would have to do some digging to find out why. To be honest, he had been considering proposing ever since he had gotten Ianto back. It wasn't necessary, but it was something he wouldn't object to.

"Right now I just want to enjoy our life together and work for Torchwood. Oh, and explore the universe some too." Ianto sighed. "We just need to make sure to give Gwen warning before we take off just in case we don't get back when we say we will. Sorry she went off on you like that."

"Bit my head off! Thankfully, it grew back. You Welsh and your tempers!" he teased lightly.

"Uh huh… I think someone wants to sleep on the -- Jack, look out!"

At Ianto's shout Jack slammed his foot down on the brakes and the car screeched to a halt. Jack shook himself and looked at his lover.

"You all right?"

"Other than I think my stomach has taken a leave of absence, yeah." Ianto's voice was shaky. He looked out at the dark road. "I saw someone… In the road."

Jack unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of the car. He didn't bother telling Ianto to keep back; just like that day when they had gone to the zoo and the Brakkanee had attacked the people there, Ianto was right behind him. Stubborn, lovable bastard.

Jack saw a figure lying on the road. Probably a drunk or a vagrant but he pulled his gun out just in case. He strode quickly to the figure and knelt. He started to reach for the man (that much he could tell) to turn him over when the voice (a too-familiar voice) reached his ears.

"Oh, I have the worst headache…"

Ianto's eyes widened in abject terror. He had faced off Cybermen and Daleks and taken on zombies and haunted houses had even survived the terror of being a woman (small bladders, pantyhose and *shudder* _bras_) but nothing terrified the life of him as much as this… this_ man_.

"No! Nononono! No!"

He staggered back and collapsed, his knees giving out. His face was more pale than usual and his body shook violently.

This couldn't be happening. Not when things were finally starting to come together! No, why him, why now?

"Eye Candy! What a surprise to see you again!"

John _Bloody_ Hart. Bloody hell!

~_~_~

End Book Two of Torchwood: After the Fall

~_~_~

NOTES!!!!!

See, more fun and less angst! It wouldn't be Torchwood without a little drama. I wante dto include more with the team but I felt that the reconcilliations with their families was more important for Jack and Ianto. Poor Alice is slowly healing and I wanted to show more of what she's going through. Book Two is now complete (Though I'm sure you obviously realize that, since it's obvious you can read… * bangs head on desk *) and Book Three is slowly coming together. Other than telling you that Captain John Hart will indeed be hanging around causing mischief and mayhem I can't say any of what's going to happen. Expect more drama and fun for the whole gang. Book Three will finish "After the Fall" but that doesn't mean that this particular TW universe is over and done. We'll have to see where my muses take me.

For now, please read my other stories and let me know what you think. I have a few more series I'm working on ("Torchwood America" as well as a Gwen series, not ready to see the light of day) and I have a few one-shots that I am posting to help keep you all placated until the next part of "After the Fall" is ready fro posting.

Oh!! 'Tiger Pants' comes from the novel Trace Memory, it's an interesting TW read. I loved it and plan to reference it a lot. Ianto's lamenting the trials of being female is from Almost Perfect, which I like but find a bit more confusing. And the date to the zoo/ Brakkanee reference is from the TW novel Pack Animals. Quite easily one of my favorite TW novels to date. Not only do Jack and Ianto have a lot of scenes together, but Tosh and Owen are just too cute and Rhys and Gwen are well, Rhys and Gwen (wedding stuff, couple stuff, being cute and silly). The whole story is a fun read. If you haven't read it, then go now, I command you! And in case you have read it, who else here did not notice at firs that one of the cards Gwen is holding on the cover is a card of Toshiko? I was like, huh? I think it would have been funny if all the cards she had were of the TW gang… hehehe… If I missed any books/fiction/etc, let me know!

Thank you so much for reading this! If anything confused you, let me know!


End file.
